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Yagi antenna on a traffic light????


 
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Brentd2183
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Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Posts: 101
Location: Worcester, Mass.
PostPosted: Tue 24-Jan-2006 20:00    Post subject: Yagi antenna on a traffic light???? Reply with quote
Shrewsbury Mass, just finished a new intersection with Opticom and i notice a Yagi antenna mounted to one of the support poles. I think its a yagi, its one long horizontal element and bunch of little vertical ones going the length of it. What would this be for?
Brent
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NPS Ranger
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Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Posts: 1021
Location: Northampton County, PA
PostPosted: Tue 24-Jan-2006 20:27    Post subject: Reply with quote
This would be so the crossing guard can watch Dukes of Hazzard reruns.
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Dana
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Joined: 21 Aug 2005
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Location: Chesterfield, VA
PostPosted: Tue 24-Jan-2006 22:36    Post subject: Reply with quote
....Beats all you ever saw....
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nmfire10
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Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Posts: 492
Location: Derkaderkistan
PostPosted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 07:40    Post subject: Reply with quote
... been in trouble with the law...
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LFD-Mike
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Joined: 20 Aug 2005
Posts: 1898
Location: Metro Milwaukee, WI
PostPosted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 09:22    Post subject: Reply with quote
There are a few chains of intersections like this in some of my outlying area. I believe they are used to communicate with the other controllers in the chain, so that the lights can be sequenced to be more traffic friendly. Why they didn't hardwire them all I cannot tell you.
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nmfire10
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Joined: 27 Aug 2005
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Location: Derkaderkistan
PostPosted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 12:29    Post subject: Reply with quote
I bet sticking a coat hanger on top of the pole is a lot cheaper than trenching all over the place for wires.
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ResQguy
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Joined: 24 Aug 2005
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Location: Maryland/DC
PostPosted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 17:23    Post subject: Reply with quote
The antenna is likely for SCADA.
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PolarBear
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Joined: 20 Nov 2005
Posts: 1447
Location: Garland, NC (about 25 miles east of Fayetteville)
PostPosted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 17:52    Post subject: Re: Reply with quote
[quote:fdc56e267f=\"ResQguy\"]The antenna is likely for SCADA.


SCADA?
I thought that was only used in industrial plants. Is the interface linked to a central traffic control center?
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Pj
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Joined: 18 Aug 2005
Posts: 2371
Location: Federal Plaza, Manhattan, New York County, NY, USA, Earth
PostPosted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 20:38    Post subject: Reply with quote
supervisory control and data acquisition

Basically, its a computer system (wireline/wireless) that monitor's site data. Usually for faults with equipment and the such. Basically, anything you want to monitor (remote water pumps, radio systems, door alarms etc) will use a scada system.

I think it came out in the late 60's. I have even seen older systems that were simple as transmitting DTMF codes for that data.
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rescue76_822
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Joined: 15 Oct 2005
Posts: 2467
Location: Corbin, Ky The Whitley, Knox, Laurel..Tri County Region
PostPosted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 20:46    Post subject: Reply with quote
Just throwing this out there but it could be a weather station transmitter,
along I75 in Corbin there are several transmitters that send weather data and the antenna is mounted at the top of the nearest lamp post.
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LFD-Mike
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Joined: 20 Aug 2005
Posts: 1898
Location: Metro Milwaukee, WI
PostPosted: Thu 26-Jan-2006 09:26    Post subject: Re: Reply with quote
[quote:0736dfb221=\"LFD-Mike\"]There are a few chains of intersections like this in some of my outlying area. I believe they are used to communicate with the other controllers in the chain, so that the lights can be sequenced to be more traffic friendly. Why they didn't hardwire them all I cannot tell you.

[quote:0736dfb221=\"nmfire10\"]I bet sticking a coat hanger on top of the pole is a lot cheaper than trenching all over the place for wires.
In this particular instance the road was completely replaced. A trench would not have been needed. Further inspection has noted that the yagis on the east face west, and on the west they face east. Still have not found the center point, but I have a good idea on where it is. The only reason I have is that this is area is being highly developed, and the amount of traffic signals has tripled since they started, and more developement and traffic could increase in the near future. Back to top    URL
SARGEEK
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Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Posts: 317
Location: Aurora, CO
PostPosted: Thu 26-Jan-2006 11:59    Post subject: antenna Reply with quote
My guess it that it allows remote operation of the computer that runs the signals - computer uses a modem connected to a cell phone so they can make ajdustments to the timing of the lights w/o having to send a crew. A lot of fixed mounted cell phones use directional antennas or they have a dedicated repeater.

Often times you can see similar set-ups on utilities poles so they can shed electrical loads during peak demands. Rolling Blacks outs are controled by systems like this.
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